FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT HILLSBOROUGH - PAGE 5

TAMPA -- Hillsborough County's 15,000 teachers agreed last year to be guinea pigs in Florida's controversial experiment with merit pay, an issue dividing politicians and educators across the state. The results weren't at all what officials expected. A St. Petersburg Times investigation shows that almost three-fourths of the nearly 5,000 teachers who received merit pay worked at the county's more-affluent campuses. In contrast, only 3 percent of the educators deemed worthy of the $2,100 bonuses worked in the low-income schools that struggle most, where nine in 10 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Federal, state and local law enforcement officers in Polk and Hillsborough counties began arresting 142 people Wednesday on federal indictments charging them with distribution of crack cocaine.U.S. Attorney Robert Merkle said the defendants were named in 91 indictments resulting from an investigation that began in May.Merkle said the arrests were made under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which sets a minimum mandatory penalty of five years in prison without parole for distribution of 5 grams or more of crack cocaine.

If you live in Winter Park, Windermere or the Wekiva Springs area, you have a 1 in 100,000 chance during the next 20 years that your home will be swallowed by a sinkhole.But don't worry too much about your future: The odds are worse in Hillsborough County, where property owners are staring at a 1 in 10,000 chance.The handicapper in each instance is the Sinkhole Research Institute at the University of Central Florida, which has just published a map showing where sinkholes are most likely to occur across the state, with specifics for Orange and Seminole counties.

By Anthony Millican and Charean Williams of The Sentinel Staff, February 23, 1996

On the heels of his visit to Hillsborough County this week, Osceola Commission Chairman Charles Owen prepared to take more lumps Thursday from critics opposed to building a stadium for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Instead, Owen left a meeting of the Kissimmee-Osceola County Chamber of Commerce with more momentum. Supporters outnumbered opponents among the more than two dozen in attendance, a sparse crowd considering that 240 invitations were sent to Osceola's tourism industry.Owen would like to raise Osceola's resort tax to help fund the facility, and he took the small crowd Thursday as a sign that there isn't much industry opposition to the idea.

Kelvin Ardister's dunk with 3 seconds remaining gave Pensacola Junior College a 78-77 victory Friday night over top-ranked Florida Junior College at Stetson University in the semifinals of the state junior college tournament.The Pirates (25-8) will play Hillsborough (25-7) today at 3:30 p.m. The second-ranked Hawks, shooting 61 percent from the floor, were 71-68 winners over Broward (18-8). An all-star game featuring top players from non- participating teams in the tournament will begin at 1:30 p.m.''FJC was playing the passing lanes -- which they do so well -- that we knew the inside would be open,'' Pensacola Bobby Stinnett said.

After a marathon job interview session, Osceola County's commissioners narrowed their choices for the county administrator job to two: Sheriff's Department Cmdr. Robert Magnaghi and former Hillsborough County assistant administrator William Goaziou.Pin stripes, shiny shoes and cigarette smoke filled the county administration building's small conference room where the commissioners slouched and lounged from 8:45 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, grilling the five applicants they chose from the original pool of 79 applicants.

TAMPA -- Melbourne's season ended with a thud Friday, as host Hillsborough rolled over the Bulldogs 27-13 Friday in a Class 5A, Region 2 semifinal game. The Terriers (10-0) swarmed T.J. Clark and the Bulldogs' rushing attack, limiting Clark to 57 yards on 18 carries. Hillsborough had no such problems when they had the ball, led by junior tailback Jimmy Sapp, who carried 11 times for 125 yards and one touchdown in the first half. His 40-yard touchdown run in the first quarter gave Hillsborough an early 7-0 lead, and a 31-yard scamper late in the quarter set up the Terriers' second score, a 4-yard run by Jarred Fayson.

The Class 6A state championship trophy will remain in Dade County for another year.Carol City made sure of that after capturing its first state championship since 1977, with a 21-7 victory against Tampa Hillsborough, Saturday at Municipal Stadium.''I thank these kids for bringing me - because that's why I'm here,'' said Carol City coach Walt Frazier, who dropped a 21-8 decision to Bradenton Manatee (1989) in his only other appearance as a head coach.The Chiefs (14-1) used a well-balanced running game and a big-play defense to knock off the Terriers (13-2)

The Hillsborough County Commission stuck a stake in the heart of the financing plan to build a $168 million football stadium in Tampa's effort to keep the Buccaneers from moving.The Hillsborough Commission on Wednesday revamped a term sheet already signed by the Buccaneers, approved by the Tampa Sports Authority and endorsed by the National Football League and Tampa Mayor Dick Greco. The commission's approval of nine amendments was tantamount to a counterproposal.''I think they went from fine-tuning to a total renegotiation,'' said Steve Anderson, chairman of the Tampa Sports Authority.

TAMPA -- Tired of deadbeat parents who refuse to pay for their children's corn dogs and tater tots, the Hillsborough County School Board decided this week to turn up the heat and hire a collection agency. In the last two years, the school system has written off more than $1.1 million in unpaid student meals from hundreds of parents. "My understanding is that it's the same people over and over," board Chairman Glenn Barrington said Tuesday. "They know we're going to feed their kids, and they just refuse to pay."